GROUP B. (α. FRAGMENT II.)
§ 1. MAN OF LAW'S HEAD-LINK.
LANSDOWNE MS.
Incipit prologus Legis periti. [on leaf 65]
OWre Oste sauhe wele þat þe briht sonne
The arke of his artificial daie had ronne
The ferþe part & half an houre & more
And þouhe he were nouȝt expert in lore
Line 4
He wist it was þe .xviij. daye
Of Aprill þat is messagiere of maie
And sawhe wele þat þe schadow of euery tree
Was as in lengeþ in þe same quantite
Line 8
As was þe body erect þat caused it
And þere-for be þe schadowe he toke his wit
That phebus whiche þat schone so clere and briht
Degres was .xlv. clome on hiht
Line 12
And for þat daie as in þat latitude
It was .x. att clokke . he gan conclude
And sodenly he piht his hors aboute
Lordeinges quod he .I. warne ȝou al þis route
Line 16
The ferþe party of þis daie es gone
Nowe for þe loue of god and seinte Iohn
Leseþ no time as ferforþ as ȝe maie
Lordeinges þe time it wasteþ nyht and daie
Line 20
And steleþ from vs what priuely slepeinge
And what þorwhe necligence in oure wakeynge
As doþe þe streme þat turneþ neuer a-ȝeine
Descendeinge fro þe mountaigne in to þe pleine
Line 24
Wele cane senec and mony a philosophre
Be-weylein time more þan golde in Cophre
ffor losse of catell maie recouerd be
Bot losse of time schendeþ vs quod he
Line 28
